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First timer
I remember the first time I got behind the wheel of an American car. A massive beast of an automobile called a Pontiac Parisienne. A full sized rear wheel drive that was almost a teenager. Technically an old wreck, but it was cheap and far larger than the little old style Ford Fiesta I was used to back home in England.
The 'Beast!'
My friend and I were spending 2 months in New Hampshire so had decided to buy a car in order to make the most of the beautiful scenery and many lakes and beaches that New England offered.
I was being on the 'wrong side 'of the car. It was an automatic gear box and very wide! It was all new and extremely nerve wracking. However after about 5 minutes on the roads and a quick general adjustment in my spatial awareness programming I was good to go.
The roads are so easy to navigate. The car was big but the roads were so wide I would have to be the worst driver ever to hit anything!
We were near the capital of New Hampshire, Concord, but we were still relatively in the countryside so there was plenty of rehearsal driving before we hit the tourist areas. My left foot now redundant because of the automatic transition we headed for Lake Winnipesaukee. A lovely 72 square mile lake around 35 miles from where were staying. Sticking to the speed limit like glue, always a mile and hour or two below the limit, (we had seen far too many movies to get pulled over by a sheriff!), we had survived our first attempt at the American highways. Of course parking the beast of the car proved a little tougher as I hadn't reversed until that point! But still, no one was hurt in the event!
Nowadays I can't imagine a holiday in America without having a car. Even a trip to New York is usually extended by a few days so we can go to Atlantic City, Boston or Washington. New York State itself requires a few car journeys to experience more than just the city buzz. With the grid system of numbered avenues and streets you would find it very hard to get lost. True - it does need a certain mind set of determination to navigate the streets of New York City itself and you cannot be easily offended by car horns, pedestrians that don't look before they leap and taxi drivers who are 'just doing their job' no matter what the cost. But it is an experience, more thrilling than any theme park!
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